Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman ROSAURA "ROSY" BAGOLIE
District 27 (Essex and Passaic)
Assemblywoman ANNETTE QUIJANO
District 20 (Union)
SYNOPSIS
Requires DCF to adopt policies and procedures providing child care facilities with security services, equipment, or technology.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning licensed child care facilities and supplementing Title 30 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. As used in this act:
“Child care facility” or “facility” means any facility licensed pursuant to the "Child Care Center Licensing Act," P.L.1983, c.492 (C.30:5B-1 et seq.).
2. The Department of Children and Families shall, within the limit of funds appropriated or otherwise made available, adopt policies and procedures to provide a child care facility with security services, equipment, or technology to establish a safe and secure environment for the children enrolled at the facility.
3. a. The Commissioner of Children and Families shall confer annually with the owner or sponsor of a child care facility to:
(1) advise the facility of the limit of funds available pursuant to this act;
(2) agree upon the security services, equipment, or technology to be provided to the facility to establish a safe and secure environment for the children enrolled at the facility, within the limit of the funds that are available; and
(3) agree on the date when the facility’s owner or sponsor shall approve how the security services, equipment, or technology will be provided to the facility.
b. In the event that the commissioner and an owner or sponsor of a child care facility are unable to agree upon the types of security services, equipment, or technology that shall be provided to the facility pursuant to paragraph (2) of subsection a. of this section, the commissioner shall make the final determination on the types of security services, equipment, or technology that shall be provided. The decision of the commissioner shall be final.
4. A child care facility and its employees shall be immune from civil liability in the provision of security services, equipment, or technology pursuant to the provisions of this act, except for actions that constitute gross negligence or willful misconduct.
5. The Department of Children and Families shall adopt, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this act, including developing a list of allowable expenditures for security services, equipment, or technology to establish a safe and secure environment for children enrolled at a child care facility.
6. This act shall take effect on the first day of the third month next following enactment, except that the Department of Children and Families may take any anticipatory administrative action in advance as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Department of Children and Families, within the limit of funds appropriated or made available, to adopt policies and procedures to provide a child care facility with security services, equipment, or technology to establish a safe and secure environment for the children enrolled at the facility. As used in the bill, “child care facility” or “facility” means any facility licensed pursuant to the "Child Care Center Licensing Act," P.L.1983, c.492 (C.30:5B-1 et seq.).
The bill also requires the Commissioner of Children and Families to confer annually with the owner or sponsor of a child care facility to: (1) advise the facility of the limit of funds available pursuant to the bill; (2) agree upon the security services, equipment, or technology to be provided to the facility to establish a safe and secure environment for the children enrolled at the facility, within the limit of the funds available; and (3) agree on the date when the facility’s owner or sponsor is to approve how the security services, equipment, or technology will be provided to the facility.
If the commissioner and an owner or sponsor of a child care facility are unable to agree upon the types of security services, equipment, or technology that will be provided to the facility, the commissioner is to make the final determination on the types of services, equipment, or technology that will be provided, and the commissioner’s decision is final.
The provisions of the bill stipulate that a child care facility and its employees are immune from civil liability in the provision of security services, equipment, or technology, except for actions that constitute gross negligence or willful misconduct.